If you’ve been neglecting exercise for years, making it a habit–especially in your older years–may seem impossible to achieve. Yet doing so could help you avoid becoming disabled or seriously ill once you reach your 60s, according to a new study.
Why Exercise Matters At All Ages
Published in the February issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from the University College London looked at older Europeans who remained healthy in their “middle” years–a term describing adults between the ages of 55 to 73. Researchers first located the participants by looking at data provided by the English Longitudinal Study on Aging, a study which tracked the lifestyle habits of thousands of Britons for decades.
They then narrowed down their search by looking at those who stayed physically active at least one hour per week–and then tracked them for a total of eight years.
“We examined the association between physical activity and healthy ageing over 8 years of follow-up,” write researchers in the online version of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. ” At follow-up, 19.3% of the sample was defined as healthy ageing. In comparison with inactive participants, moderate, or vigorous activity at least once a week was associated with healthy ageing, after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, marital status and wealth. Becoming active or remaining active was associated with healthy ageing in comparison with remaining inactive over follow-up.”
At the end of the study, the effects of exercise were clear: Those who exercised regularly had the lowest incidences of age-related illnesses, including dementia, heart disease, and diabetes. In turn, those who stayed active were the least likely to become physically disabled by the end of the study.
But for those who didn’t make exercise a habit, they didn’t fare too well–at least as far as their health was concerned.
“Importantly, we demonstrate, for the first time, that participants who remained physically active through follow-up were most likely to age successfully, although participants who took up activity during the follow-up period were also more likely to remain healthy compared with those who were inactive throughout,” say researchers. “A reduction in physical activity may be one of the first indicators of the disease onset. However, in the present study participants who became physically active after baseline were more likely to be healthy than those who remained sedentary and those who became inactive.”
As a conclusion, researchers say this strengthens the need for older adults to get active–especially if they aren’t already. Doing so, as this study demonstrates, could be a life saver.
“In summary, a sustained level of physical activity in older age is associated with improved overall health in participants surviving over an 8-year follow-up,” say researchers. “Moreover, significant health benefits were even seen among participants who became physically active relatively late in life.”
Readers: How do you try to stay active on a weekly basis?
Sources:
Exercise Helps You Age Well According to New Study – NYTimes.com
Study: Exercising in Middle Age Makes You Less Disabled, Sick Later in Life – BMJ.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.